FalconStor Appoints New Channel VP

FalconStor Software has appointed a new channel and alliances executive, and one of his first tasks will be to boost the company's channel program.

FalconStor this week said Brendan Kinkade is its new vice president of channel management and global alliances, where he reports to Jim McNiel, interim president and interim CEO of the Melville, N.Y.-based storage vendor.

"A lot of what I've been doing is building strategic alliances for our go-to-market strategies," he said. "I've been working with global partners to bring solutions to the market."

In his new role, Kinkade said he looks forward to improving FalconStor's channel programs and processes.

Early next year, he said, FalconStor will offer a new partner portal and an enhanced channel program with new benefits. "We'll have new certification goals which will be tied to training of partners," he said. "A partner who is educated and knowledgeable about your technology is more committed."

FalconStor is also in the process of establishing its first partner advisory council, with the list of participating partners yet to be finalized, Kinkade said. "The invitations have already been sent out," he said.

Kinkade is a good choice for managing FalconStor's channels, said Greg Knieriemen, vice president of marketing at Chi, a Cleveland-based solution provider and long-time FalconStor partner.

"Brendon's not just good, he's great," Knieriemen said. "He understands the channel, works with the channel, breathes the channel."

Kinkade has also shown a natural instinct for the channel not only at FalconStor but at his former employer, storage vendor Nexsan, Knieriemen said.

"He's a no-nonsense guy," he said. "He really executes. When he puts a channel program into place, he follows through."